


Alistair's Wisdom

by andrasteshaircurlers



Series: Tales Of A Theirin Bastard And His Thorned Rose In Leather Armor [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-10 01:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5563279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andrasteshaircurlers/pseuds/andrasteshaircurlers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were those who thought Alistair a fool. But of the two tenants that would guide her through life, one of them came from him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alistair's Wisdom

It only took his eyes a split second of contact with hers to realize what she was going to do.

No.  He shook his head.  Of all the insane crazy…  Alright they were in trouble. Real trouble… He’d give her that. Running from a group of darkspawn was not his idea of a good day. Not Torania’s either. Though she was more agitated than anything. Still they were badly outnumbered and exhausted.

The river they found themselves stumbling upon was rather wide, and they were lucky, he guessed, to find the rope bridge to cross it. Especially as it seemed that just beside the bridge was a large waterfall that current seemed to sweep into.  Any other time he would have marveled at the falls, but there was no time now. He did note the sharp rocks at the bottom. Wouldn’t want to fall on those rocks.

He should have known better. He knew Torania. He should have picked her up and physically carried her across, but he did not.

They were all exhausted, nearly collapsing on their feet. Didn’t darkspawn ever get tired?  They crossed, Torania bringing up the rear. As he stepped onto solid ground he turned. Saw her eyes take in the lot of them exhausted and aching a ways ahead of her, then the dark spawn just behind her. He could guess what she was thinking. How far could they jump? Then her eyes shifted to him and he knew. He knew what she planned to do.

“No! Don’t!” Her blade came down cutting the robe bridge from beneath her drumming her and the darkspawn into the churning water and over the waterfall.

“No!” Alistair whispered. “NO! Maker curse it!” The waterfall.  The bottom of the waterfall! She would have ended up there. He didn’t factor in the darkspawn. He didn’t factor in the rocks. He just knew if there was even the slightest chance he had to get to her. “Wynne?”

The formidable healer was already on her feet. She nodded at Alistair and they took off down the steep incline to the water below. It took far too long to climb down for Alistair’s liking. He looked around franticly. The rocks had not been kind to the darkspawn. Skewered ogres were already starting to color the water with their blood. But maybe someone lighter… oh please Maker.

There!  Alistair spotted her and felt his stomach drop. His ears started to roar. She lay facedown in the water. Motionless. “No!” He ran to her and pulled her out. “Oh-No” Alistair Theirin looked up at Wynne who had finally caught up with him. “Do something! Save her! You’re the best healer in the world! Aren’t you?”

“I wish that were so young man, I truly do,” Wynne looked down at the redhead’s pale form with uncertainty and concern written all over her face.  “but I will do my best” she extended a hand casting blue light over the limp body.  Alistair looked up at Wynne’s face. He didn’t want to look at Torania. He didn’t want to see her motionless, serine, face. Face the possibility… There was sweat running down Wynnes face now. “Are you all right?”

“I will be fine. I am not a bottomless well of mana.. I…”

Coughing… gurgling…  sounds interrupted them.

“Torania!”

“Warden!”

Alistair looked down at her. Her eyes were closed but she was starting to cough and vomit up water. Wide eyed, he sat her up and leaned her over forward a bit.  “Is she?”

Wynne let out a sigh and sat on a rock. He tore his gaze away from Torania for a moment “Wynne? Are you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’m tougher then I look” He nodded, then looked back down at Torania. His warden was done coughing now, instead taking in deep gasps of air.  But she was there.  Oh Maker she was there.  Maker… she almost.  Alistair shifted Torania a bit and wrapped his arms firmly around her as if to make sure she was not going anywhere. He cradled her, pressing his face into the wet red hair. When her arms finally slipped around him in return he had to stop himself from breaking down and crying.  No not yet.

“I can walk”

“Not if I don’t put you down”

“Alistair put me down”

“No.”

Alistair!

“NO!”

She went quiet, staring at him.

The others had made camp by the time they got there, and most chose not to make a comment on their leader’s miraculous survival upon seeing Alistair’s face.

He set her down in their tent then got in after her

“H-how could you do that!”

“They would have gotten you!”

“You don’t know that!”

“I should have risked it?”

“You nearly killed yourself! There was an option… a way that didn’t require that and you didn’t take it!”

“I didn’t know…”

“You didn’t know anyway! Life is never knowing! Did you ever consider what it would mean if you died? To Ferelden… To our group… To me…”

“I…”

She was thinking now. Good. Finally. About time. “I thought. You. Were. Dead.  When I pulled you out of the water… I thought you killed yourself!” He was shaking.

“Alistair I… I’m sorry” She put a hand on his arm.

He pulled away. He had to make her understand.

“What if it was me?!” He could see her picturing it. “What if it was me whose body you were pulling out of that water!?” He could see her clenching her fists.

“Sometimes…” He continued “Sometimes choosing the option that is better is worth it… Despite the risk”

“You’re right” Her fists unclenched.

It took a moment for what she said to register. “I’m? right?” did you just say I’m right?”

She nodded. “I was wrong. I can’t just sacrifice, not when there is a chance to make things better. Perhaps sometimes we have to take risks to see if we can get what is best.”

“So you won’t do that again…” He held her at arm’s length and looked at her seriously. What was she thinking what was behind those black eyes? “You promise?”

She nodded “I was stupid. I was only thinking of the now not the bigger picture. I can’t do that. I know I’m stubborn Alistair. But I can also admit when I’m wrong…” She smiled wryly “Sometimes”

He let lout a sound that sounded like something between a groan and a laugh and pulled her to his chest. “Never again Torania. Never again. “

“Never again” she agreed. Never again.


End file.
